1. Ibn
Tufail's Hayy ibn Yaqdhan was a best-seller throughout
Western Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It influenced John
Locke (Russell 1994) and may also have influenced Molyneux, since the
introduction of this work contains the following passage about a man
born blind whose eyes were opened:

Suppose a Man born Blind, but of quick Parts, and a
good Capacity, a tenacious Memory, and solid Judgment, who had
liv'd in the place of his Nativity, till he had by the help of the
rest of his Senses, contracted an acquaintance with a great many in
the Neighbourhood, and learn'd the several kinds of Animals, and
Things inanimate, and the Streets and Houses of the Town, so as to
go any where about it without a Guide, and to know such people as
he met, and call them, by their names; and knew the names of *
Colours, and the difference of them by their descriptions and
definitions; and after he had learn'd all this, should have his
Eyes open'd: Why, this Man, when he walk'd about the Town, would
find every thing to be exactly agreeable to those notions which he
had before; and that Colours were such as he had before conceiv'd
them to be, by those descriptions he had receiv'd: so that the
difference between his apprehensions when blind, and those which he
would have now his Eyes were opened, would consist only in these
two great Things, one of which is a consequent of the other,
viz., a greater Clearness, and extream Delight (Ibn Tufail
1708, pp. 8–9).

The asterisk * refers to the following footnote by the
translator (p. 9): Tho' this instance will serve to explain the
meaning of the Author, yet 'tis very improper, because 'tis utterly
impossible to give a Man that is born Blind, the least notion or
idea of Light or Colours.

References: Russell 1994, Ibn Tufail 1671, 1674, and 1708.

2. Cassirer (1955) claimed
that all the special problems of eighteenth century epistemology and
psychology were grouped around Molyneux’s problem.